


Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur

by KatieK101



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Blackfoot killed Stonefur and now he lives in his head, broody Blackfoot, hinted at Black/Russet, resilient Russetfur, sassy Stonefur, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25737358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieK101/pseuds/KatieK101
Summary: Blackfoot thinks that StarClan warriors should have better things to do than haunt him. Doesn't Stonefur have kin he should be reuniting with or something? // the space between Stonefur's death and the Battle with BloodClan, through Blackfoot's perspective. funnier than it sounds, or maybe not.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur

"It wasn't a fair fight."

Blackfoot and Stonefur were never friends, so it's strange that he immediately recognizes his voice.

Blackfoot spins around and comes face-to-face with the deceased RiverClan deputy. Stonefur stands before him as a warrior of StarClan, much unlike their last meeting; his blue-gray pelt is sleek with good health, and tiny bits of stardust adorne his ghostly figure.

Blood isn't pouring out of a neck wound, either. There's that.

"What are you doing here?" Blackfoot demands. He always imagined the first time he would meet a StarClan warrior would be when he was appointed the leader of ShadowClan and went to receive his nine lives; Stonefur's sudden appearance is both inconvenient and frankly, annoying.

He may not regret killing the RiverClan tom, but no one wants to be revisited by their victims.

Stonefur sits down, an action that proves he doesn't plan on leaving any time soon. "It wasn't a fair fight," he repeats himself. "I was weak and starving; you're in perfect health."

Blackfoot arches a brow. "You're here for a rematch?" Can StarClan warriors even spar with the living? That doesn't seem very good of them.

"Not really, no. I'm here to give you what you deserve."

That also doesn't seem very good, considering what Blackfoot deserves.

He attempts to mask his confusion by scoffing. "Excuse me? I have more important matters to deal with, rather than a bitter dead cat." With those words, he resumes his trek back to ShadowClan. Tigerstar ordered that he return to his birth-Clan while he and Darkstripe oversaw their RiverClan camp. Blackfoot didn't complain; if he never had to step paw into that fishy camp again, it would be too soon.

"Don't you think it's suspicious that Tigerstar sent you away?" Stonefur asks, trotting so that he walks alongside Blackfoot.

"Not really."

"Ah," the blue-gray tom hums. "Then you're even more fish-brained than I thought."

"At least I'm not dead," Blackfoot retorts.

Stonefur shrugs agreeably. "Maybe not yet, but if you don't act soon, you will be."

ShadowClan warriors, in general, don't take kindly to threats; they're a bit too temperamental, a bit too proud, a bit too aggressive to sit there and smile politely. Blackfoot is pure, unadulterated ShadowClan and he is no exception to the rule.

He immediately freezes and turns to study Stonefur with stone-cold amber eyes. "Is that a threat?" he asks, his voice hard and layered with a warning.

To his credit, the RiverClan tom doesn't cower or panic like others do when faced with Blackfoot's temper. He meets his gaze squarely, tail-tip flicking idly, and says, "I didn't leave StarClan to threaten you, Blackfoot; I came to _warn_ you."

And then he fades into the fog, like he was never there at all.

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

The days become shorter and the air becomes colder. Leaf-fall has passed and leaf-bare has replaced it, and it's almost like the seasons understand that something dark and sinister is brewing.

Blackfoot knows it too. What, though, he isn't quite sure.

Tigerstar preaches unity. He swears he only wants the four Clans to combine into one, unstoppable Clan, but Blackfoot knows how to read bloodthirsty leaders. Tigerstar will kill whoever doesn't pledge their unwavering loyalty to him, and he will not be able to see past his own ambition, and 'TigerClan' will crumble into ash.

And Blackfoot will be there, ready to resurrect the ashes and take TigerClan as his own. That's what he tells himself, anyway.

"You know that isn't truly what you want," Stonefur meows.

Blackfoot develops a sudden interest in watching Dawncloud's kits tussle and mock-growl. As he watches them, he can not stifle the pride that swells within his chest; Dawncloud was his first apprentice, and to watch her blossom and extend ShadowClan's legacy is something he'll never quite get over.

"Why wouldn't I?" he finally asks. "Leading all four Clans would make me the most powerful leader to have ever lived."

Stonefur laughs, but it's devoid of any joy. "Don't fool yourself, Blackfoot. You can't be bothered with the other Clans; you only have interest in ShadowClan."

"I have an interest in _power_ and _strength_."

"If ShadowClan is already the strongest Clan, why do you need the other three?" Stonefur wonders aloud. Blackfoot grows tired of this game.

"What are you, my conscience?" he demands.

The ghost of a smile plays across Stonefur's lips, and he asks, "It's been so long since you've talked to yours, how would you know?"

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

He wasn't serious. He was just trying to avoid the countless questions Stonefur had poised at the tip of his tongue.

But it seems Stonefur liked the idea of being his conscience because now he has thoughts that certainly don't belong to him and they sound _strangely_ like that peksy RiverClan tom.

Blackfoot thinks that StarClan warriors should have better things to do than haunt him. Doesn't Stonefur have kin he should be reuniting with or something?

He blocks out "his consciences'" voice the best he can and goes about his duties. Technically Tigerstar is the leader of ShadowClan, but Blackfoot wears the role like a second pelt. When the "true" leader is not in camp, which is rather often these days, it's easy to forget the sense of foreboding that hangs over them all like a thick fog.

That is, until Russetfur opens her mouth.

"This is wrong and you know it," she says with all the confidence in the world. He swears, it's like he has _two consciences_ when he tried so hard to destroy the one!

Blackfoot licks his paw then drags it over his ear. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Her green eyes narrow. "Tigerstar isn't fit to lead ShadowClan, much less all four Clans!"

Blackfoot shushes her and sweeps his gaze around the camp. Thankfully none of his Clanmates seem to be paying them any attention, but you could never be too sure. They are the Clan of cunning and stealth, after all.

Russetfur copies his action then murmurs, "they have the right to know what's going on, Blackfoot. They know something is happening, they just don't know _what_."

"It's for the best," he retorts. "They would just worry."

"They're _already_ worried."

"My decision is final, Russetfur," he growls. "I'm the deputy, and I say they don't need to know." _Yet._ "Understood?"

Russetfur has never been great at receiving orders, and Blackfoot blames her rouge-blood. She especially detests orders that she doesn't agree with, so he expects another fierce retort, but Russetfur is the only cat who can keep him guessing. Rather than spit fire at him, she scoffs like she's mocking him and says, "yes, _deputy_."

Then she leans forward and licks his cheek, tender and mocking and seductive all at once, and when she draws away he's fighting to maintain his expression. "You missed a spot," is her only explanation, and then she turns and storms off. Blackfoot wants to call after her and tell her that she's acting like a spoiled kit, but he can't seem to pull his gaze away from her hips and the way that they sway.

She disappears into the Warriors' Den, where their nests are as close as they can get without being close at all, and he shakes himself out of his daze. He does another sweep of the camp to ensure that nobody saw _that_ interesting exchange, and for the most part, no one does.

Only Stonefur grins at him in a quiet corner of camp, like they share a secret.

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

"BloodClan?" he echos.

Tigerstar nods, positively radiating with arrogance. "Boulder led me to them, and they seem very interested in our mission. Their leader, Scourge, wears dog claws like a collar around his neck."

Blackfoot blinks, caught completely off-guard. "He _what-_?"

"Their strongest warriors enforce their own claws with the _teeth of dogs_ ," Tigerstar excitedly adds, "so that their strikes rip through pelt and flesh and bone. _They're mad_!"

"So we're going to ally ourselves with them?" Blackfoot asks. He's fighting to keep his tone cool instead of incredulous, or worse, doubtful. These days Tigerstar insists on unwavering loyalty, and the consequences are dire.

"If we combine their brute strength with TigerClan, we'll be unstoppable," Tigerstar says surely.

 _Or we'll all be dead,_ he thinks.

Instead of voicing that particular thought, he asks, "how did you get them to swear their loyalty? They don't sound like the negotiable type." They sound like the unpredictable type, ready to spin around and slice your throat without warning.

Tigerstar flicks his tail. "I told them that once TigerClan was united, I would split the entire territory with BloodClan."

"You told them _what_?!" Blackfoot demands, his _tone_ be damned. Tigerstar's gaze sharpens, but he isn't afraid. "First we invite these- these dirty rouges to help us win our own battle, and then we share the forest with them! How do you know they won't ambush us in the night and murder us all?"

Tigerstar growls, "you doubt my strategy, Blackfoot?"

 _Yes. Absolutely._ But he knows better than to say that, even if his blood is boiling and Tigerstar is insane. He might not fear the ex-ThunderClan warrior, but he also doesn't fancy dying anytime soon. So he reigns in his temper the best he can, grits his teeth and asks, "how many times have I carried out your commands, Tigerstar? I've been loyal to you since the beginning. I just don't want to endanger ShadowClan."

"TigerClan," Tigerstar corrects him, and Blackfoot bites his own tongue. "I wasn't born yesterday, Blackfoot. Of course I know these cats will betray us once they grow ambitious, however," his voice already sings of triumph, "that's why I don't plan on keeping my promise. Once I have killed Firestar and absorbed ThunderClan and WindClan, TigerClan's first order will be to destroy BloodClan."

First of all, when did "kill Firestar" become a priority? Blackfoot held no love for the ThunderClan leader, but Tigerstar never mentioned this plot before.

 _I told you,_ said his Stonefur-Conscience.

 _Get out of my head,_ he retorts.

Tigerstar gazes at him expectantly, like he's waiting for him to burst into cheers. When Blackfoot doesn't immediately start praising the egomaniac for his brilliance, he narrows his dark eyes and asks, "isn't my plan brilliant, Blackfoot?"

This plan is anything except brillant, and he suddenly realizes that if TigerClan truly comes to life, no one will win. But he doesn't dare voice this thought. Instead he plasters a smirk across his lips and says, "It's brilliant, Tigerstar."

That seems to satisfy him. Tigerstar sends him out of his den, and Blackfoot steps into the chilly air like a cat who marches towards their untimely death.

At this time of day, most of his Clanmates are asleep. They'll all be awake and prowling the marshes once the moon appears, but Blackfoot doesn't want these new realizations to fester until moon-high. He needs to get them out in the open air, hear them echo, keep his mind focused-

"You see why I was trying to warn you now, don't you?" Stonefur asks, right there beside him.

Blackfoot has never been good with admitting defeat, but he knows when to do it. "You couldn't have just told me, "hey, Tigerstar is an insane egomaniac who's going to drench the forest in blood"?"

The blue-gray tom shrugs. "You wouldn't have believed me."

Blackfoot refuses to say it, but he's right. He's always been the type of cat who needs to see something himself to believe it; if one of his Clanmates told him it was snowing outside, he wouldn't believe them until he looked for himself.

Russetfur calls him paranoid, but manipulative and cunning is _kindaaa_ ShadowClan's thing.

"This isn't going to end well, is it?" he asks instead, even though he already knows the answer.

Stonefur is silent for a few moments, and then he replies, "I don't know."

"I thought StarClan had all the answers."

"We know more than the living world might, but we are not all-seeing. Good cats are going to die, kin will be torn apart, but the Clans have endured much. We may win this battle." There's hope in his voice, but Blackfoot has always struggled with hope; if it looks like they're fighting a losing battle, then why bother lying to himself?

That's about where he stands right now. If he opposes Tigerstar then he will be killed, and he isn't ready to die. If he goes to ThunderClan and WindClan, they still won't be strong enough to overpower TigerClan and their newfound "allies". If he plays along, then everything he loves will burn to ash.

He doesn't see a reason to be very hopeful.

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

BloodClan pour into ShadowClan's camp, and Blackfoot is forced to stand idly by and watch as they make themselves at home. They explore the dens, raid the mealsy fresh-kill pile and sneer at the frightened kits.

His blood boils. ShadowClan may have a history of taking in the occasional loner or rogue, but these brutes have no interest in learning their ways. They're only here because of their selfish desires and if they get the chance, they're going to slaughter every single one his Clanmates.

A fluffy pelt brushes against his, and he breathes in Russetfur's scent. She smells of the pine forest and the marshes and everything he loves, though it does little to calm his blood.

"What have we gotten into?" she murmurs, gaze locked on the 'warriors' that continue to pour into their camp.

"A lot of trouble," he replies.

"I told you this was a bad idea," she meows, but there isn't any real venom in her voice. She may have sensed the danger before he did, but at one point, Russetfur idolized Tigerstar just like the rest of them. He was strong and healthy and respected in all four Clans, so very different from Nightstar, that ShadowClan welcomed him like a long lost friend.

How lizard-brained they were to have not seen the similarities between him and Brokenstar.

They stand there for a while, side-by-side. If Blackfoot closes his eyes he can sense Stonefur right there as well. What unlikely allies he's found.

"Let's run away," Russetfur says suddenly. "We've lived as rouges before; we can come back once the battle has ended, and we can pick up the pieces and start our own Clan."

It's tempting, but he doesn't even consider it. ShadowClan is his home, and his Clanmates are his friends. He knows he will protect them to his dying breath.

He just prays that breath won't come tomorrow.

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

The meeting with ThunderClan and WindClan takes an abrupt turn for the worse.

The remaining two Clans announced that they would not join TigerClan, and Firestar revealed to everyone just why Tigerstar was banished from ThunderClan. Blackfoot was stunned into silence; he had no idea Tigerstar had committed such crimes! If only he had known the truth, he never would have agreed to harbor the scum.

At that point, he was furious enough to kill Tigerstar; Scourge beat him to it.

With one single, deadly slice Scourge managed to rip away all nine of Tigerstar's lives.

Blackfoot had never seen anything like it before; he couldn't even comprehend what he was watching. Russetfur was stiff with shock beside him, and his Clanmates coward.

Then Scourge gave them all two choices; either they could flee from their homes, or they could fight for them.

And, as the deputy of ShadowClan, Blackfoot was now Clan leader. It was up to him to decide if they would fight or flight.

This was _not_ the first decision he wanted to make.

" _You coward_!" Stonefur snarls, and Blackfoot snarkily thinks that StarClan warriors shouldn't be _so rude_. "You're damning your Clanmates!"

"I'm doing this to _protect_ them," he hisses in response. "Did you see how BloodClan's crazy leader took out Tigerstar?! If I send my warriors to face theirs, then who will be next? Dawncloud and her kits? Fernshade or Deerfoot? Russetfur?"

Stonefur bristles. "They're warriors, for StarClan's sake! They took an oath to protect ShadowClan at all costs, and now you won't let them!"

"If I do then _they'll die_!"

"Don't they get to decide that for themselves?" the StarClan warrior demands.

"Not after their leader has spoken," he retorts.

Stonefur roars with joyless laughter, and the tail-tip of it morphs into fury. "I understand now; you're scared of a fair fight! Is that why you killed _me_? Because you knew that you would win?"

Blackfoot stiffens with rage. "Get. Out," he growls.

Instead Stonefur stalks forward, until their noses are only inches apart. "You. Are. A. Coward," he spits. "You know you can't win a fight unless it's rigged in your favor, and even after Brokenstar, Nightstar and Tigerstar, _you_ will be the leader who destroys ShadowClan."

Blackfoot snarls and lunges forward, prepared to rip his throat out a second time, but now Stonefur has the favor. He is gone the instant before Blackfoot can tackle him, and he lands with a hard _thump_.

He picks himself up and shakes the dust out of his pelt. He expects to open his eyes and see Stonefur standing right in front of him, but it seems that Russetfur isn't the only cat who can keep him guessing.

"Who's the coward now?" Blackfoot yowls, and he hopes Stonefur hears him.

Russetfur pokes her head into his den. "Who are you screeching at? You're scaring the kits!"

"Nobody," Blackfoot says quickly. "Just… talking to StarClan."

She doesn't question him, but he gets the sense she doesn't quite believe him either. "Well I hope they've been sharing their advice with you, because you have company."

For a moment he fears it's Scourge, but if the leader of BloodClan was in his camp than Russetfur wouldn't talk so easily. "Who is it?" he asks.

"Firestar."

He might not have been expecting the ThunderClan leader, but he is far from surprised. The former-kittypet is always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong; it figures he wouldn't change his ways even at the prospect of annihilation.

"Send him in," Blackfoot meows. Russetfur dips her head and then disappears, and he is already preparing his speech: a battle against BloodClan is not worth the lives of his Clanmates. ShadowClan is stubborn and adaptable; they will find a new home somewhere else.

Firestar enters the den, dips his head respectfully, and then doesn't give Blackfoot the opportunity to _breathe_. He rambles on about their roots in Fourtrees, the importance of banding together, and something called 'LionClan'.

He preaches unity, just as Tigerstar did. He even uses some of the same words, but Blackfoot has never met a cat more opposite of him. Firestar is genuine, whereas Tigerstar never told a truth in all his life.

"So," Firestar asks, "will you unite ShadowClan with LionClan?"

The refusal is on the tip of his tongue, practiced to perfection.

" _You know you can't win a fight unless it's rigged in your favor, and even after Brokenstar, Nightstar and Tigerstar, you will be the leader who destroys ShadowClan."_

Stonefur's words echo in his ears. His blood begins to boil and his claws itch, and at that moment, he wants to take on all of BloodClan _by himself_.

Firestar looks at him with all the hope in the world shining in his eyes, and Blackfoot has always struggled with hope. BloodClan looks invincible, BloodClan shows no mercy, and BloodClan is vicious. Blackfoot sees nothing that inspires a wisp of hope within him.

"ShadowClan will join you."

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

The death count following the battle is high, and Blackfoot wonders if this victory was worth it. But it is a victory nonetheless, and his ShadowClan is free to fight another day.

He ticks off his Clanmates as he sees them: Russetfur, Tangleburr, Rowanberry, Boulder, Rowanpaw. A few are left unaccounted for and others bleed to death, but Blackfoot knows that life is worth dying for. He's willingly thrown himself into battle after battle, even took thrill in it, but to ask his Clanmates to lay down their own lives is something else entirely.

 _They deserve the choice,_ a thought that does not belong to him whispers. He silently agrees with it.

Russetfur brushes against him and sniffs at his wounds. He pushes her away, tells her to stop fretting over him, and she makes it very clear that she'll resume her fretting once their back in camp. He walks away, and he's never been more thankful for her.

Firestar approaches him, and Blackfoot wonders if he is the type to say "I told you so". He eyes him cautiously and says, "Firestar. So we won the battle after all."

He dips his head. "Yes we did. What will you do now, Blackfoot?"

Truthfully, he never really considered it until now, but the answer is glaringly obvious. "Take my Clan home, and prepare for a journey to Highstones. I'm their leader now. We have much to do to recover, but life in the forest will go on as usual."

Firestar nods, but he hesitates like he's not quite satisfied. "Then I'll see you at the next Gathering." Blackfoot turns around and begins to gather his Clanmates together, but when the ThunderClan leader calls his name, he pauses. "Blackfoot, you would do well to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors. I saw what you did to Stonefur at the Bonehill."

He stiffens. " _I saw what you did…"_ He has half a mind to turn around and start demanding answers, but he doesn't have the energy to fight another battle. So instead he gives the slightest dip of his head, and then resumes his duties.

Littlecloud skirts around to check wounds and Russetfur urges the weary onwards. He leads the way home and muses over Firestar's warning. Inwardly, he's surprised that Stonefur doesn't appear to walk beside him. He's even more surprised to not hear his voice interrupting his thoughts.

They return to camp, and Littlecloud prepares him for the journey to Highstones. Blackfoot can't help but wonder if StarClan will grant him these nine lives, but he has nothing to fear; as soon as he touches his nose to the ice-cold slab of rock, they are with him.

He locks eyes with a particular RiverClan warriors. Stonefur nods at him, and Blackfoot thinks he looks rather proud.

"With this life," Stonefur begins, after Blackfoot has has already received the first four lives, "I give you justice. Use it well as you judge the actions of others, and to make the decisions that no one else can."

He looks at him pointedly, and Blackfoot gives the slightest nod. _I understand._

Justice is one of the hardest lives to endure, but he does so. When Stonefur turns and rejoins his Clanmates, Blackfoot wants to call to him and apologize, but then he thinks that he doesn't need to. After living in his head for moons, Stonefur knows that he regrets his actions.

**Conscience, Thy Name is Stonefur**

In ShadowClan, life goes on. As a matter of fact, life is better than ever.

Blackfoot - no, _Blackstar_ \- is a leader his Clan can be proud of. He is intelligent and bold and determined, and he loves ShadowClan like their last three leaders have not. He takes pride in them and their reputation.

Littlecloud is a devoted medicine cat, who works tirelessly to ensure his Clanmates' health.

Russetfur is a brilliant deputy, who is always at his shoulder with a bright idea or a quick retort.

Sometimes he thinks he senses Stonefur nearby, when the wind carries his scent to him or he remembers Bonehill. But the RiverClan tom never visits him again, and although Blackstar would rather die than admit it, sometimes he misses his constant presence.

His conscience doesn't die, however. He may have buried it when he served under Brokenstar and Tigerstar, but now it's always there, quietly guiding him and urging him to always have hope. Because sometimes you can't see hope, but it's always there, even on the darkest of nights.

Maybe it's foolish, but he calls his conscience Stonefur.

**Author's Note:**

> crossposted to FFN under the same penname.
> 
> the one-shot that I'm proudest of, most days. it felt like a good writing exercise and I don't hate it when I reread it.
> 
> drop by Tumblr and say hi! I'm KatieK101 there as well.


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